There are a couple of accomplishments I’ve had on my radar now for the past couple of years and I haven’t quite hit the mark fulfilling them. I’ve gone through all the typical thoughts from questioning why I can’t catch a break to telling myself to keep pushing forward to the self-doubt of whether I’m capable of these accomplishments. It’s natural for us to let self-doubt and negative self-talk creep in when we’re pushing ourselves to a new level and stepping into the uncomfortable.

As I’ve taken more time to pause and reflect on these two achievements I’m striving for, I’ve pinpointed a key piece of what’s holding me back. It has to do with the difference between a casual approach and a purposeful approach. Casual means we’re still progressing towards what we want to accomplish but our approach may be lacking consistency and we’re still hesitant to take an extra leap toward our goal. Purposeful, on the other hand, means time and energy is directed in a targeted approach and it’s consistent. There’s very little teetering away from the focus on taking steps forward towards what we’re striving to achieve.

I think there’s a variety of reasons why I’ve been more casual than purposeful chasing these two accomplishments. I’ve let comfort of remaining in the same place disrupt my focus. Naturally, other priorities in life come up but I haven’t balanced those priorities as well as I could have. I’ve also let self-doubt shape some of my behaviors at times more than I would like to admit. While I’ve still seen progress towards these accomplishments, the casual approach has slowed my timeline.

So, what will a shift to a purposeful approach take? Here are some ideas I’m working through:

• I know self-doubt and negative self-talk will always be part of the journey reaching for something more. Counteracting this doubt with a clear vision and documentation of what my accomplishments will be is key. I need to anchor to why I’m working towards these two accomplishments. Yes, struggles will be inevitable but the anchor to the why reinforces clarity of needing to consistently invest my time and energy no matter the hurdle I’m facing.
• Consistency is a difference maker. When my investment of time is inconsistent, while some momentum may have been generated, it’s hard to sustain and build on this momentum. Too much progress happens in clusters as opposed to building on momentum each day. When consistency is part of the approach, gains continue to build on one another and the mind starts to make these consistent behaviors a habit.
• Self-accountability needs to improve. I’ve set deadlines for myself and have completely missed them. There’s no one looking over my shoulder seeing how I’m progressing on these two goals I’m striving towards. It’s on me to be accountable to the steps I know I need to take and to stay on track. Milestones and documenting when I expect the next step to be taken can help define what I need to hold myself accountable too.

Progress often happens at a much slower pace than we’d ideally want to see. Part of this is the reality big accomplishments take time. But another part of the slower pace can be the difference in approach of casual vs. purposeful. While it was hard for me to admit it and it can be hard for you to face this truth, I’ve been too casual specific to these two goals. While I’m a believer in how we talk positively to ourselves, I also believe in the importance of being truthful to ourselves. Even though it’s hard to admit, I am being too casual specific to these two achievements I’m chasing.

The good news is that the change is on me. It’s in my control. While outcomes can have a long list of uncontrollable pieces, the dynamic of casual vs. purposeful is controllable. It’s my decision where I invest my time and energy. Now, it’s time to take steps to be more purposeful.

Take your step: identify something you’ve been working to accomplish and continue to feel behind pace. Take time to reflect on whether you think your time and energy invested matches what you’re trying to achieve. Are you consistent and purposeful over a longer period? Or are you casual where there’s some lumpiness to how time and energy is invested? It’s hard to be truthful that we haven’t been investing the time and energy in a consistent manner we need for the success we have set in our sights. But honesty with ourselves is exactly what we need to rethink how we better align our timeline with what we want to accomplish.